Build around Facebook because their friends have liked X

Posted by bryanzug - 2009/03/23

Scoble had a great article on Saturday describing how Facebook is positioned to serve higher quality information to people and, in doing so, why it will continue to grow into the center of attention for the majority of web users (and a target for effective marketing).

He offers this foodie example —

You pull out your iPhone or Palm Pre or Android or Blackberry or Windows Mobile doohickey and click open the Facebook application. Then you type “sushi near me.”

It answers back “within walking distance are two sushi restaurants that more than 20 of your friends have liked.”

Wait a second. “Friends have liked?”

And that is a great summary of the emerging power of Facebook in an easy to understand story.

A friend’s recommendation (when it’s easy to find and is contextually relevant) will always trump other forms of marketing / advertising — it’s the easiest way to find a good restaurant, the hot spot of the hour, or that “today only” deal we’ve all been on the lookout for.

Because Facebook is built around these relationships from the ground up, it will continue to trump Twitter (and may even best Google eventually) as the most effective place to focus many marketing efforts.



Blasting the Myth of the Fold – Boxes and Arrows: The design behind the design

Posted by bryanzug - 2008/04/10

Recommended Reading: Interesting article about “The Myth of the Fold” pointed out by Terry Heaton on the Gnomedex mailing list.

Holding on to this disbelief – this myth that users won’t scroll to see anything below the fold – is doing everyone a great disservice, most of all our users.


New Job as a Technical Director at Methodologie

Posted by bryanzug - 2008/01/10

Started a new job on Monday. I have joined the wonderful team at Methodologie in downtown Seattle as “Technical Director, Interactive Manager”.

Methodologie is an incredible brand design firm with a great specialty in Corporate Social Responsibility communication and Annual Report design.

I get to work with an award winning interactive team and am looking forward to a great 2008.

Also to note — I’ll probably be posting less on elearning specific topics (when I post right :) — will be moving more toward the identity of the blog becoming “Bryan Zug’s Flat Hatter Collaborative”.